


Heart's Desire

by Apathetic Lambchoppi (Apathetic_Lambchoppi)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Dimension, F/M, Harry Potter meets his Parents, He's not weakened by Horcruxes, I plan to add tags and relationships as they appear, Not OP Harry though, Powerful Harry, Powerful Voldemort, War Hero Harry Potter, onesided Voldemort/Harry Potter attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2019-10-04 18:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17309267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apathetic_Lambchoppi/pseuds/Apathetic%20Lambchoppi
Summary: Harry Potter. War general. Husband. Boy-Who-Lived. Much had changed since the Battle at Hogwarts, and war was no game. Harry knew that all too well. When faced with his heart's deepest desire, will he be able to turn away and do his duty? And will Voldemort let him?AU from Harry's trip into the Forbidden Forest.





	1. Dreams

_“It does not do to dwell on **dreams** and forget to live.” _

_-Albus Dumbledore_

Home.

No one had ever asked a younger Harry where his home was. That was just as well, since he wouldn’t have had an answer. If he had really thought about it, for a long time it was the strangely comforting numbness that enveloped his chest after a good harsh yelling, and a sentence of who knows how long to his little cupboard under the stairs. Darkness, little Harry would have said. Alone and in the dark meant safety. Safety was a home in and of itself. And so his little cupboard was one.

If he had thought a bit more, home, to Harry, would have been dreams of a tall man with glasses just like him, and hair just the same, with perhaps even a smile. Home would be the slightest touch, just a brush, against his face by a woman with hair as red as the sun. Home, a concept that had never crossed Harry’s mind until he had one.

Home became a warmth, instead of an oddly tight feeling in his heart that hurt more than casual hatred. Home became actual people, who he could see and who talked to Harry, and not something unwanted. Home became, not an idea, but reality. And it was no less magical for it. Home, to Harry, was Hogwarts. And now it was gone.

Harry padded through the corridor, various spells being mumbled as he went, to remain silent, to remain unseen, to remain undetectable, and, most importantly, to remain protected. The wards of Hogwarts had backlashed after repeated assault, making magic somehow reabsorb into the ancient walls. Hermione had tried to explain it- something about how the immensely powerful spells lining Hogwarts lived off of the children within it. After repeated damages, the castle reached for any magic it could to heal. Of course, without direction, the old spells would sometimes act unexpectedly.

“Oh fu-” Harry dropped to the ground, his teeth clacking uncomfortably as part of the immense ceiling shimmied downwards, attempting, and failing, to reconnect to the other side. It almost seemed to pout as it drooped downward, instead melding with the floor and creating another classroom. Harry scrambled up as quickly as he could, running a dirty hand through his short, but no less messy, militaresquehair.

“That was a close one” he mumbled, a bit of awe in his voice as his spells seemed to drip off of him and into the floor below.

Harry was heartbroken to see how severe the damage was to Hogwarts, how completely ruined his people had left their beloved school. Harry alone had decided to revisit it. He bit his lip, the thought of his mission and current vulnerability causing a grimace to twist his dirt caked face. _You mustn’t remain Harry. We have a job to do._ His eyebrows curled with determination, he continued his trudge onward, spells sliding over him and obscuring his form from view once more.

After multiple close calls, and an oddly intimate moment with a painting, an upside down horizontal staircase, and a dusty pair of muggle binoculars, Harry finally reached his goal. A small smile, barely one at all, crossed his lips, while light from beyond fell down upon him in an oddly picturesque scene. A sharp sniff and a sneeze managed to ruin the picture quite well, leaving Harry to awkwardly look for a handkerchief while he walked back and forth, a very specific thought in mind. A great wooden door, seeming to reach far beyond the wall itself, appeared from nowhere, bringing the smile back to Harry’s face. He ran his hands against the grain, a deep breath filling his chest, and he pushed forward. As he stepped through, the door seemed to meld back into the wall, into the very stone, but not before the grand knocker was gripped tightly by another.

The beauty of the place was so profound and complete that the threat of tears were nothing but appropriate. The sky stretched onward forever, clear and blue and perfect. The grass was almost artificially green, peppered with oh so white lilies. Harry, for some reason, grabbed one passing by in the breeze, and tucked it carefully within the pouch around his neck. The sweet scent of spring tickled past his ear, and Harry wished for nothing more in the world than to fly. He couldn’t though, the object ahead of him reminded, and the view of its position atop a hill was not unlike the Veil of Death within the Ministry. The sight let the sob within Harry’s chest fade, and he walked onward. The yards that seemed to separate Harry from his destination unnaturally shortened, leaving him there much too quickly. The room seemed to sense that, and suddenly Harry wasn’t there anymore. He laughed, and started the walk over again.

Finally, Harry actually reached the dreaded mirror, and lightly touched the golden edges with his fingertips.

“It’s been a long time.” Harry couldn’t help but say, something in his chest telling him that this moment needed to linger. “I do wonder what you’ll show me this time.”

Suddenly, the wispy hairs at his neck stood on end, the air around him turning just a bit too frigid and cold.

“I wonder as well, Harry.”

He smiled.

 

* * *

 

 

“Tom, what a pleasant surprise.” Harry said, his turn thankfully not catching on his ragged old robes. Voldemort’s eyes narrowed, not unlike a cat’s, but the twist to his face was entirely snake-like.

“Brave as ever, aren’t you? Do you wish to rile me, Harry?” The words were soft in the air, almost airy, and the sound rolled down Harry’s back like cold water. He swallowed hard, and chuckled, an odd wand with ridges and bumps twisting and twirling through his fingers.

“It never hurts to try, I reckon. Why are you here?” This time, Voldemort laughed, his own bone-white wand unnaturally still like the being holding onto it.

“Must you even ask?” The Dark lord glided forward, his bare ivory feet whispering across the grass. “How hard it is, to find you so far from home. The better question, I believe, is why are you here?”

They were close now, close enough to touch, and the wind picked up around them, while the temperature continued to lower. “The Boy-Who-Lived.” He said it almost reverently, and his nails, elegantly shaped, but long and unnatural, gently slid against the side of Harry’s cheek.

His eyes stared deep down into Harry’s own, deep dark red like almost dry blood, and dying leaves on trees. Harry could feel the madness of him within his very bones. Suddenly, Voldemort twisted around, dark robes fluttering while the ground itself seemed to propel him across the field. He expertly turned back to face Harry, a certain smug excitement sliding across his face, while his body remained unnaturally still.

“Come, come Harry we must follow the script, shall we? We’ll duel, yes yes, and then- well.” The Dark Lord paused, his mouth twisted into a mischievous smile, his eyes completely dead. “Must I remind you of the rules again, dear Harry?”

The sad death of an undeserving boy flashed through Harry’s mind, leaving him to growl, an unexpected ferocity lending an air of danger to his boyish figure.

“No, not this time.”

 

The battle was epic, as it always was. It was not unlike the pair to lose themselves in it, and this time was no different. Great beasts of dirt and grass rose from the ground, battled and beaten down by equally great creatures of wind and water. Fire and power breathed from them both, leaving an electric feeling to the air. The imagination was the limit for any wizard, and for the two battling the limit had not yet been reached. High pitched laughing came from one side as thousands of lilies transformed into locusts, the buzzing zooming towards Harry at unimaginable speeds. A great wave of mist seeped from his wand, the almost but not quite clear magic twisting and writhing around his figure, an impenetrable shield. It extended high above him, seemingly to the heavens themselves, and caused his robes to billow around him rapidly. The locusts disappeared within it, and were released as a great hulking bird made of pure white light. It cried and swept up into the sky, only to fall upon Voldemort with an angry caw. The Dark Lord flicked his wand at it with seemingly no care, causes it to disintegrate into the lilies it had been.

Harry breathed heavily, sweat slicking his brow, his back bent over in pain. Voldemort stood tall and proud before him. “Don’t keep me waiting, _Tom_.” With another unsettling laugh, they began again.

The battle soon turned from great hulking creatures and flashy bits of light into more deadly and tricky spells. Sadly, apparition was unusable on the grounds, leaving the two to come up with their own ways to dodge and disappear. As the battle grew more ferocious, the lovely world around them desperately tried to repair itself. It failed, miserably. Both of them stopped suddenly, and this time, Harry was not the only one failing to stand up straight. Cuts littered the both of them, and during the respite Harry casually fixed the boils growing along his tongue and throat. The adrenaline was getting to him, Harry knew. It was almost time. _It was time to **end this**_. Harry grinned, a vicious little thing not unlike the expression the Dark Lord wore.

The pair raised their wands as one, ready to continue, when suddenly an unbearably loud crack echoed through the room. The very foundation seemed to shudder with it, the boom echoing within Harry’s chest. He fell to his knees with it, his teeth chattering in his mouth to the rhythm. It ended as quickly as it began, and Harry opened his eyes, not even realizing that he had closed them. Voldemort stood closer to him than before, a blank look upon his monstrous face. His head was cocked, not unlike a birds, and his eyes seemed to trail and glide upon something. Harry stood, wand carefully ready, and looked before him. A storm had brewed in the once perfect sky, the clouds rolling and rumbling above them, grey and black mixing with bright spots of light. It was beautiful and terrible and Harry couldn’t look away. Not seconds later a bright luminous shard of blue lightning shot down from above and hit the only object within the room. A cold skeletal hand grabbed him, and both their wands rose to protect against the onslaught. There was no use though. The mirror blew outwards in the form of sharp pieces of white-gold glass, bypassing all the shields they rose. The last thing Harry saw were curious red eyes.


	2. A Whole New World

"And Hermione was struggling to her feet in the wreckage, and three red-headed men were grouped on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as they staggered and stumbled over stone and wood.

'No - no - no!' someone was shouting. 'No! Fred! No!'

And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face."

― J.K. Rowling,  _ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows _

_ What the-  _ Harry's  eyes snapped open, his body protesting when he jumped out of the bed. A brief surge of black filled his vision, and he found himself sprawled across the bed once more, his head aching even more fiercely.  _ Harry. Relax.  _ So he did. He felt the bed beneath him as he sprawled, a surprisingly soft comforter similar to the homemade quilts at the Burrow. The thought made his chest warm, and the muscles in his arms and stomach release some of their tension.  _ Not a hospital, and not a cage either.  _ No, this was something new, something different. Harry carefully sat up this time, and thankfully managed it without a dizzy spell. Instead of jumping up, he decided to look around. The room was obviously someone's bedroom, the numerous Quidditch posters and one scantily clad woman twirling around with bedroom eyes that brought no little amount of heat to Harry’s cheeks making it pretty clear. It almost reminded him of- Harry shook his head, and focused. He was surprised to see that while the bed was not for a patient, the lightly glittering globe of spells surrounding him were most definitely used by professional healers. Heart rate monitor, blood pressure, breaths per minute, all of the above. The bed itself was also spelled as medical grade- the cushioning charms, along with warming and sweat wicking were all standard. Harry aimlessly trailed his fingers along the surface, thoughts running a mile a minute. His holly wand was missing, unfortunately, but that didn’t necessarily mean his hosts were hostile. They just weren’t part of the Order. It seemed, to Harry anyway, that whoever was holding him didn’t mean him any real harm. The charms themselves proved it so.  _ But harm doesn’t necessarily have to be physical. Or immediate.  _ Harry rubbed his hands across his face and hair, the slick grime of an old  _ Scourgify  _ making him feel gross, and desperately in need of a shower. With that thought, the door in the corner seemed to call out to him, and a fresh set of clothes at the foot of the bed made him smile. 

The shower was lovely, Harry couldn’t help thinking, and he wished he could share the experience with his friends. It was so rare to have such a safe place to stay, and that made him wonder who exactly had found him. He knew, for a fact, that if they had been a friend of Voldemort Harry would no longer be here. The Dark Lord only wanted him in one place, and that was not this sweet little upper middle class home. However, he  _ knew  _ all his allies in Britain, and he was pretty sure he hadn’t left the country in his sleep. Harry was missing something, and it put him on edge. But his neck pouch was still with him, thankfully, and the coin within it had shown no new messages. No one was in trouble, and no one was trying to contact him. It  _ was  _ possible that a sympathizer had allowed him into their home. It wasn’t out of the ordinary- many witches and wizards weren’t in the front lines, but they still quietly supported the Light. Harry decided that only time would tell. He would act only when necessary, and until then, he would work with what he had been given. And so far that had only been medical care and comfort.  _ Ah, Hermione would be proud.  _ Harry grinned and looked outside as he showered, the window stretching and pulling to his own preference. He decided upon a tiny little square, just enough for one eye. He had seen the beach stretching beyond, which explained the slight coolness to the air. He must be somewhere warm. At that thought the room itself seemed to huff and adjusted the temperature until it was perfect for him. 

Harry had never been in such a charm-filled home- it seemed like every bit of, well _everything,_ had some sort of magical upgrade. The towels waved and bowed before sweeping over him, somehow blowing on him to help dry him off. They smiled cheekily afterwards and set themselves to dry. The soaps and water had seemed to do all the work themselves, leaving Harry to gaze dreamily outside. All of this only made him more curious about his hosts. Most powerful witches and wizards couldn’t _help_ but be on the front lines. How had they remained hidden from both sides? Harry shook his head, the loofah taking care of his back while he allowed his own thoughts to clear. _All you can do is wait. Get prepared, and deal with whatever comes as it comes._ Once he exited and dressed, the mirror grumbled at his hair, but had seemed to almost expect it and didn’t judge him too harshly. Harry marveled at that, for every magical mirror had needed many weeks, if not months, to get over the mop on top of his head. He decided that this, if nothing else, proved that a true charms master lived within the house. Pushing the brush aside with a laugh as it continued to wave around his head, desperately attempting to keep cow licks down and whining when it failed, Harry exited the bathroom in a much better mood than he had entered with. Of course, this did not last when he looked upon his very much dead mother.  
  


~~~

 

So. Harry Potter was definitely having a bit of a shit day.  _ No. This- no.  _ Harry felt numb, and for the first time in awhile desired a small dark space.  _ I don’t understand.  _ Thoughts flew through his mind like rampaging bludgers, and made a buzz that was so loud and encompassing that his ears rang with it. _There's no way. Doesn't make sense, he couldn't do this I can't do this-_ He didn’t know how long it had been, but it was long enough that, that the  _ woman  _ was definitely not a few feet away anymore. 

“Stop- I, stay BACK!” Harry tumbled backwards, falling unattractively on his butt and scooting away before he froze like a rat faced with a cat in a corner. The woman raised her hands, saw the wand in her right, gulped, and stored it hastily in her dress pocket. 

“Jus-” 

“No! Just, just  _ be quiet. _ ” 

And so she was, and they stared at each other.

 

“So-” 

“Another moment, please.” 

Harry had his eyes closed, and was desperately trying not to cry. He really wanted to, he really did, but now didn’t seem like the best time.  _ It never is, is it.  _ The only silver lining Harry had found so far was that the floor was charmed to be soft to the touch. A charms master indeed.  

Harry had already concluded a few things in their brief, and awkward, staring contest that had devolved into him pretending she didn't exist while his eyes were shut, and her thankfully being quiet like he had asked. And in the insanity that was his life, he was almost able to believe his conclusions. First, he was pretty sure this wasn’t a hallucination. Voldemort would definitely be bored by now, Harry could never dream up something like this, and he had pinched himself a few times for good measure. So, this was real. Second, that woman was Lily Potter. Harry knew this because there was absolutely no way someone could disguise themselves as the dead, and again, Harry knew this wasn’t a dream. So, Lily Potter was alive and she didn’t know who Harry was. That brought Harry to his final discovery. He was in the past. Somehow, whatever happened with the mirror had plucked him from his time and shoved him into another. Knowing these things did not make him feel better in the least, which is why Harry’s butt remained firmly planted on the extremely comfortable floor, and his eyes remained firmly shut to the world. 

“Now?” 

“‘Fraid not.”

 

~~~

 

Lily Potter was having a fantastic time. Spending the summer day outside in the sun and waves with her family never failed to put her in a cheerful mood, and as a cherry on top of the pudding, a child had mysteriously appeared just within the wards without any care for how impossible that was. Many other wizards and witches would’ve been terrified by this turn of events, but Lily was only fascinated.  _ Her  _ charms, failing? At first she had been bewildered-  _ no one,  _ not even Merlin himself could’ve gotten past the protections without disturbing them. She knew her magic, she  _ knew  _ the limitations, the laws that all wizards and wizards had to follow. But somehow, the boy had broken those laws just for her. What a brilliant interruption to a lazy summer day. 

“So. Having fun?” Like a responsible adult, Lily had tucked the unknown boy away into their guest room (aka Sirius’s bedroom) with lots and lots of protective charms. Of course, half of Lily hoped he would break through those like paper as well. Jamie didn’t have to know about that possibility though, of course. 

“Right on the nose with that one, love. I’m having loads of fun. Loads and loads and loads.” 

“So, not having fun?” 

“Getting warmer dear.” 

 

“List me again all the protections you have in place.” Lily harrumphed and smiled, a red strand of hair twirling mid air absently with the motion of her finger. 

“Well, we have charms surrounding the room to prevent his leaving. No apparition, no port key. We have your guardians in place, of course.” Her wonderful husband puffed out at that and she gripped his forearm.  “Love, it’ll be fine. Sirius is downstairs, and the Headmaster is aware of the situation. The kids are with Severus. Trust me.” He cocked an eyebrow and peered at her from the corner of his eye, while he stared at their mysterious visitor from the doorway. 

“Fine you say. Trust you, you say. We’ll see, I suppose.” Lily grinned then, and like always he found it infectious. 

“Find a silver lining darling.” He faced her then, and began playing with the strand she had been before. 

“And what would that be?” She kissed his hand, all tender and sweet and the love flowing through him made it hard to breathe. 

“Well, the most likely explanation is that I have a brother-in-law.” He gasped, and turned, almost tripping, while a flick of her wand allowed their visitor to rise.

 

~~~

 

“You do look terribly like him.” Harry didn’t quiet her this time, and he was glad for it.  _ She sounds so different when she isn’t terrified.  _ He put that thought away, and focused on just how beautiful it was to hear her voice. “It was just a guess- an educated one of course, but I reckon I wasn’t far off. You can ask me what I’m talking about if you’d like, too.” 

Harry smiled, and it felt like a sun had formed inside his chest. He decided to open his eyes, just to take a peek, and saw her casually leaning against the wall. She was playing with her hands, tugging at her fingers and rubbing the skin. She wasn’t nervous, Harry could see just how relaxed and calm she was, and he found the habit endearing. Harry would probably find just about anything she did endearing and lovely if he were being honest with himself. 

“You can also get up, but I know how sometimes you just need to be somewhere a little different. And a new perspective is always a good shock to the senses.” And with that, she plopped down on the floor too, and Harry felt the urge to laugh rumble deep in his chest. 

“Never thought of it that way, but good point.” She glanced around, fingers tapping casually on her leg, and sighed. 

“You know, you gave me a fright when you decided I was scarier than a dementor without its shroud.” Harry’s eyes traveled down then, the feeling of the carpet soft and plush, and begging to be plucked at. 

“It's...complicated. And I can’t say too much now, without messing up everything. You'd agree, if you knew what I know. If you answer one question, I should be able to tell you more.” Her eyes glittered with curiosity, and he desperately wished to look closer and see if they were really a matching pair. 

“Well, I suppose I can’t argue with answering one little question.” 

He smoothed a hand down the soft carpet one more time, straightened his back, and whispered, “What year is it?” 

“2001.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Should get some Voldemort action next chapter. Just getting something new out there- I know its been awhile!


End file.
